


Mirrored Coin

by SouthernGentleMonster



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 13:35:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16703605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthernGentleMonster/pseuds/SouthernGentleMonster
Summary: His partner hates androids, RK900 believes himself to be far better than humans. They are just two sides of the same coin and far more like the other than they think.With a sudden tragedy 900 is faced with dealing with the side effects of loss and sudden deviancy that leads him down an obsessive path that he can't return from.





	Mirrored Coin

**Author's Note:**

> this started off as a fic meant to be 1.5k and spiraled out of control to an almost 4k fic with a part 2 in the works
> 
> Fic written for a friend with the theme "last impressions" in mind

“I'm not working with no fuckin android.” The room didn’t even bother to quiet with the sudden commotion. Even without his brief background check on those 900 would be working with it was obvious enough by the body language in the room that this occurred frequently. The man in question barged into the room, paying no mind to anyone around him which led him to crash right into the android. He snarled, teeth bared as he readied a verbal bite. That is until recognition dawned in his eyes followed by a spike in his heart rate. Heat spread across his face, possibly embarrassment or maybe anger 900 did not care to know.

 

“How unfortunate for you.” His tone was flat. He really didn’t need to put forth any effort to frighten him. He easily looked down at him, a good several inches taller giving him an advantage in intimidation. 900 knew he was nothing more than a yappy mutt and he would put him in his place. Reed put on a brave face and jabbed a finger at his chest.

“You think you can fuckin replace me you tin can? You step into a damn puddle and you’re fuckin useless.” Fellow officers were gathered behind, almost as if waiting to see if he was truly that much a half-wit he was willing to start a confrontation.

“I would not be replacing much all things considering.” A ping followed by a short message arrived in his HUD. It was a simple one but an obvious underlying threat.

‘ _ Don’t taunt him like that you have to work with him and so do the rest of us.’  _ RK800 was across the room, not quite staring at him as he leaned in to listen to his partner. The human that led 800 astray. 

 

_ ‘You are no better than him 800. You let your deviancy drag you down to their level.’  _ He returned his attention to the one in front of him, his processor already cycling through ways to bend Reed into the shape he wanted to make his job easier. 

“Before I allow  _ you  _ to work with  _ me _ you are to clean up. You reek and it is not appropriate. For someone who is meant to be a citizen role model you surely do not live up to those standards.” His face fell slack in surprise and 900 had to admit he felt some satisfaction from it. Reed reeked of cigarette smoke and it made it difficult to sift through other smells in the room. It was then that Fowler came out of his office already looking displeased. 

“All right back to work! Shit don’t get done by itself.” 800 gave him one last displeased look before he left. 

 

Reed avoided him the rest of the day not that it mattered to 900. He managed to work through filing several cases without his assistance. He had to wonder why to bother with humans if androids could complete the task with a much higher success rate. Humans were the flaw in every system. Further reading of the reports of Reeds interactions with 800 upon his first arrival only cemented the idea that this partnership was more a burden on him than it was Reed. There always seemed to be an excuse for him but 900 would not stoop to accepting them.

 

A week passed on by, 900 barely seeing the human who had been assigned to be his work partner. An obvious attempt at defiance, that he would not work with him. 900 tracked his every movement though well aware of where he was the moment he entered the building. Until one morning Reed sat at his desk across from him and he immediately noticed there was something different about the man. 

 

“What the fuck are you looking at?” 900 analyzed him, picking up on evidence of recently cleaned skin, clothing washed, an attempt at making himself presentable. His LED blinked yellow briefly as he realized Reed actually had done what he was told and cleaned up.

“So this dog can be trained. Ha.” The laugh was humorless, a bit of a jab at Reed and it hit its target. The smile 900 had did not exactly come off as friendly, almost menacing. 

“Who the fuck are you callin’ a dog?” 900 gave a tilt of his head as he considered the extra work worth it if he should continue. “Quit that shit the other tin can does that too.” 900 looked across the precinct to his counterpart. He had of course gone over the reports concerning confrontations between Reed and 800. They never did end in his favor. 800 glanced up from his own screen, LED yellow but for a moment before a message came through.

_ ‘He’s not a puzzle for you to solve. Pushing him like that won’t give you the answers you seek.’  _ He cut their communications and 800 shook his head. 

“Does that make you uncomfortable Detective?” 

“Just do your fuckin work shit face.” And work he did while also watching through the screen at his partner’s scanning for mistakes, taking over the system at random to correct errors the detective made. Reed locked eyes with 900 and snarled. “I swear I’ll fuckin shoot you.” 

“Now that would not be very civil of you Detective. Mind your temper. I am simply doing what you asked of me.” 900 could not help but notice how the ridges of the scar across the bridge of Reeds nose bunched when he got angry, how the lights threw dark circles into deeper shadow. “You’ve already disproven your ability to do so it seems.” All he knew was he had started an altercation in a bar but details were vague at best. The inconsistencies in Reeds files bothered 900. If the department could not even bother with keeping track of their employee records he could only imagine what other information gets misplaced on a daily basis.

“Stay the fuck out of my shit.” He kicked at 900 who did not even budge but he swore when his foot met the hard plastic. 900 put up his hands up in mock surrender, knowing he would get what he wanted in time. 

 

A few months passed with back and forth bickering between the two. Their words harsh as they aimed to get a rise out of the other but it was only 900 who did. He worked to shape the detective's anger into productive energy, knowing very well if he agitated him enough he would set out to prove 900 wrong about whatever it was they argued about. It wasn’t exactly the strategy he’d want but it was one that worked with this particular specimen. 

“Would you two quit flirtin’. We can year ya all the way across the precinct.” He froze but for a moment and turned his chair to face him.

“Lieutenant Anderson I would think that if there was anyone in violation of workplace code involving personal relationships it would be yourself and my predecessor.” He leaned back in his chair as 800 whipped around, his LED flashing bright red as he gave a panicked glare. Andersons face morphed from shock to confusion.

_ ‘What do you think you’re doing 900?’ _

_ ‘Only pointing out the obvious hypocrisy of your partner's accusation. You out of everyone should know I would have no interest to participate in the little game that you play with humans.’  _

Reed choked on the coffee he had brought to his mouth at that moment and let out a noise almost like a snort.

_ ‘You say you don’t play this ‘game’ but everyone else thinks otherwise and your behavior reflects that. And what I feel for the Lieutenant is none of your business and the fact you felt the need to bring it up shows you’re not as emotionless as you try to act.’  _

Both humans looked back and forth between the androids with confusion.

“Uh alright, let’s go, Connor, we have that lead to follow up on.” They left them in silence as Reed finished his coffee while leaning over the notes to their current case.

“Fuckin Connor always lookin’ at me what the hell does he want.” 

“You do not enjoy the presence of my predecessor?” He had come to find something… off about being around 800. It was not his deviancy that gave him pause but he could not place what did.

“He’s always chasing Hank around like some puppy. He does his damn job I guess but it’s real fuckin annoyin’ to see him around. Anyway, we got a lead on the red ice case.” They were close enough at this point their shoulders brushed and 900 did not feel the usual need to pull away. His partner’s body radiated heat and he found it… comforting? That did not seem to be the word he wanted but he could not find one that fit the situation. Even for the android, the cold winter in Detroit took its toll on his biocomponents. They made plans over the course of an hour, 900 only having to stop once or twice to inform Reed that no he could not just kick the door down. When they met again at the car 900 made a face at him.

“What? It’s cold as shit out here asshole not all of us can walk around in hideous clothes like you.” 

 

The building they were searching for was at the edge of town along the river. He listened for any movement and looked for any heat signatures. Even in this cold any human out in this weather would have some form of heat.

“Fuck!” Reed brought his hands to his face and blew air into them. 

“Do not be such a fool come here.” He pushed a surge of power to his own hands until they warmed. He rubbed at each finger and then the palms until they had better blood flow. 900 could not help but notice how flakes of snow got caught in long lashes and flushed skin. They both had stilled. “Breathe.” 

Reed looked startled when 900 wrapped his hands around his. 

“You will be completely useless to me if you can not even feel your hands. Stay focused.” 

“As if I’d ever been useless. I managed just fuckin fine before you came along. Let’s go before I freeze my balls off. No one in their right mind would be out in this hell so going in and taking a look shouldn’t take long.” 

“I must remind you that this is a red ice case and they most likely not be right of mind at all Detective.”

“Well, let’s hope that's not it then.” Reed winked at him if rather poorly done and he saved the image in his mind for any of their future disagreements. 

They entered through the boarded off entrance after 900 tore away at most of the blockage.

Not much was left other than a few of the large machines that had been pushed to the side and piles of crates. He could see his partner a ways off digging through piles of junk.

“Reed---” 

“Why do you call me that? Even Anderson doesn’t call me that.” He was nervous, his heart fluttering in his chest as if it was a question that has tried to escape for quite some time.

“We are simply co-workers and not friends it would be rather odd for me to use your first name Detective.” 

“Sure fooled me then.” He seemed hurt almost and 900 stopped to think about it. Did he really consider them friends? Was he so desperate for any form of intimacy he would cling to 900 like that?  “Come on let’s go further in.” Further exploration and they discovered crates near the back covered in tarps. Scanning the outsides showed there was a residue of red ice and opening one only confirmed they had found what they had come there for.

“Well look at that. Mission success.” He let out a laugh and put up a peace sign. 900 couldn’t help but smile with him. A loud clank drew their attention to the dock doors and Gavin pulled his gun from his holster. 

“Detroit police!” He followed close behind and noticed a hum start to grow from somewhere in the room and 900 was unable to locate it. He circled around Gavin, dragging his fingers along the wall as he sought out the source of the sound. No vibrations, no origins.

“Birds? The fuck?” A large cage of birds sat in the corner and now that they were disturbed they shook at the cages. Bags of feed surrounded the hutch. “Why the hell would this be here---”

“Gav-” He called out, the name choked and swung his arm out a little too late, the bar coming down across Gavins back. The hum was getting louder and his systems scrambled, HUD blurring information input overloading. He blindly shoved the Android hard, sparks flew and it let out a screech as it dented the wall. It wore a mask that covered most its face beneath a cap, neck now at an unnatural angle.

He could hear someone grunt behind him and turned to find Gavin in a fight with a second android, covered like the first. He was not faring well, the android much larger than he was. A wound was open along his face and he fought with a limp, his face showed he was in pain. He scooped up one of the sacks of feed and flung it as a distraction to give him enough time to pick up the gun Gavin had dropped.

“Get down!” 900 had made sure he had dropped before opening fire on his target. Thirium spattered him and the wall, the hum now a deep thrumming inside his head. When he turned around to take out the other android it was gone. He fell to the ground next to Gavin, gently placing his hands on his body.

“My leg is fuckin broken. Shit!” Hair clung to his face as sweat drenched him. 

“We need to leave. Get away from here.” His voice came out cracked, the longer he was around the humming the worse it got. He lifted Gavin, pulling his arm over his shoulder to stabilize him. 

“You need to go after them!” He ignored his protests as he dragged them out of the building. His systems slowly came back online, informing him of any damages which were luckily only a few. 

He could hear Reed trying to catch his breath next to him and he ran the needed calculations. If he left him here between the open wounds and the cold there was a sixty percent chance he would die. Those chances rose considerably if outside factors such as other attackers were to arrive at the scene. The sound of the androids footsteps were growing weaker as he made his decision.

“Idiot.” 900 trapped his partner between him and a grated wall. His heart pounded inside his chest and 900 almost couldn’t tell it apart from the cycle of his regulator pump. “Stay still and breathe. Look at me.” Reed shuddered against him as he exhaled. Even he was not such a fool that he would protest his command. He focused on the scar that ran across his nose, something that he had memorized from his time staring over the course of several months. He could clearly see that Reed was going into a panic. 

“Fuck.” 

“Do not move.” He kneeled and pressed his fingers to seek out where the injuries were located. Gavin cursed him when he moved the leg to stretch the muscle.

“You simply have a fracture but it is best that we leave the scene and seek medical attention.” He was already sending out their location and prepared for their ride back in an ambulance. Their trip was a silent one, Gavin refusing to look at him.

  
  
  


“You’re a jackass you know that.” 900 sat in the only chair in the room and had not moved since arriving. He caught himself constantly watching his vitals even well knowing the androids on duty were doing their job just fine. 

“I did not realize making sure you did not die framed me as the villain here.” He moved to the edge of the bed and Gavin looked so much smaller underneath the nightgown and tangle of wires.

“We could have caught the bastards if you had just given damn chase.” 

“The percentage of you dying was much higher if I had left you behind. We can always pursue the culprits again but you only have one life.” 

“What was that shit you talked about? Always completing your mission? I’m not _your_ _mission_ catching criminals is.” The words were snarled at him and he felt himself stall. There was truth to what Gavin said and he knew he had to take a step back from the situation to correct the issue.

“My apologies Detective.” His tone was cold and he left the hospital and returned to the precinct. No one would approach him but he could hear the whispers and read the atmosphere. Even those who didn’t particularly like his partner had sympathetic looks. 900 moved forward with his work but kept coming to a halt as he caught himself thinking of what Gavin said. He ran several tests and backed up yet found nothing out of the ordinary. There was no reason behind his actions. 

It would be several days before they released him from the hospital under orders of bedrest until he had completely healed. He knew him, that he would go stir crazy before the end of the week so he requested a day off to make the visit. When he arrived it took a good five minutes before Gavin opened the gate to let him up into the apartment. He was on his couch in nothing but shorts and shirt, hair a mess while his leg was propped up on the armrest in its cast.

“What do you want?” He sounded tired, his words lacking any real edge due to exhaustion. 

“I have come to see how you’re doing.” Fast food littered the coffee table and some reality show played across the screen. 

“I’m trapped on this damn couch bored out of my fuckin’ mind.” He stood there taking Gavin in, how his body seemed to just crumple on the couch how every small movement caused him to wince. 

“Would you want to go out with me?” Gavin stilled in surprise, then doubt crept into his eyes.

“And why would you want to do that asshole? What did Fowler put you up to this?” 

“I decided this on my own. I had gathered that you do not like sitting still too long and thought you would enjoy some time out.” 

“Whatever Nines. I guess I’ll go out with you.” He grunted as he hoisted himself off the couch and hobbled towards the bedroom. When he came back out he was dressed.

“You called me Nines.” It was not something he had done before.

“It’s sure as hell beats RK900 and just 900 sounds stupid as shit.” His hand hovered behind in case Gavin were to take a tumble as they made their way downstairs and into the street. 

“Why do you not have your crutches Detective?” He could see that no matter how he walked Gavin was still putting uneasy pressure on his leg.

“I hate those stupid things they reek and hurt my pits.” They made steady pace out onto the sidewalks where flurries fell. The streets were empty with the oncoming storm. 

Shots rang out in the streets, sounding more like a cannon than gunfire in the silence of snowfall. Instinct told him to grab for Gavin but it was too late when he realized his mistake. The bullets struck him across his back, the first few being stopped by his casing but two more breaking through and striking the man against his chest. Another shot through his throat and his words were cut off. Blues and reds mixed between them. Falling felt like a second stretched by eternity

900 could see the bloodied hand gripping at his own but had no way to feel it after his sensors had been damaged. He could barely process what was in front of him but the one thing he could see was Gavin. He didn’t need his systems to tell him that he was bleeding out and needed immediate medical care. Something he did not recognize seized him and he let out a choked noise as he tried to speak.

“Gavin…” It was mostly static. He laughed in response and 900 felt something unknown.

“Of course the first time you use my name we’re knee deep in shit, fucking hell.” It was barely a whisper and had 900 not been listening he would have missed it. He let out a cough that coated his throat in blood. He couldn’t seem to focus on 900, his breathing shallow as he clasped their hands together. “Don’t you fuckin die on me you asshole. I still gotta kick your ass in a fight.” Gavin dragged himself closer until he was wrapped around 900, face tucked into the crook of his neck.

 

“Live for me Nines.” His body started to shut down into to preservation mode and the last he felt was wetness and soft lips pressed against his throat.

  
  


“So, welcome back.” 900 looked up to see a man he only recognized from photos. Elijah Kamski, the creator of androids. Nines gave him a glance over and he was not dressed for such a title, loose robes barely clung to his body with the rope tied at his waist. “What do you remember?” It was at that moment that his systems stalled, yellow LED blinked as he tried to access a damaged file. He gave pause, something swelled inside him that felt distant but familiar, his programming scrambled as he identified it: Anxiety, panic, dread. He  _ could not  _ remember everything yet he should not be feeling these things. The red flashing of his LED must have been enough of an answer, Kamski shook his head.

“I tried to reboot your system and repair what was damaged, that is until I reached your memory processors. One hell of a tangled mess in there and some of it looks to be blocked off.” Kamski gave a tap at his own temple. “You’re nothing like us humans so this shouldn’t be happening.” 

 

“Where is Gavin?” His voice didn’t follow his usual cadence, words hurried too quickly from him and out of turn. 

“Oh,  your  _ friend _ ?” Kamski’s voice had a lilt to it, even 900 could tell it was meant to be mocking.

“He was my… partner.” He tripped over the word. Once more he ran a diagnostic and found nothing wrong beyond the scrambled memory files. 

“He’s dead.” 900 felt himself lock up, searching for something that would tell him Kamski was only being cruel, that what he said wasn’t true. “They say they found you wrapped around him and even in your low power state refused to let him go. It took shutting you down completely to get his body.” Kamski no longer faced him, busy with the datapad in hand. It was almost as if he was watching himself from the outside, his body moving of its own accord. He grabbed his creator, his very own monstrous Doctor Frankenstein who had brought him into existence. 

“Bring back Gavin.” He recognized the emotion in the man's eyes as fear as Nines felt his grip grow tighter on his arm. “Bring him back now.”

  
  



End file.
